Chapter
XXXIII.—The Error of
Beryllus.
1. Beryllus,2033
| 2033 Beryllus, bishop of Bostra in Arabia (mentioned above, in chap.
20) is chiefly noted on account of the heresy into which he fell, and
from which Origen won him back, by convincing him of his error.
According to chap. 20, he was a learned and cultured man, and Jerome
(de vir. ill. c. 60) says of him, gloriose rexisset
ecclesiam. We do not know his dates, but we may gather from this
chapter that the synod which was called on his account convened during
the reign of Gordian (238–244), and apparently toward the close
of the reign. Our sources for a knowledge of the heresy of Beryllus are
very meager. We have only the brief passage in this chapter; a fragment
of Origen’s commentary on Titus (Lommatzsch, V. 287), which
undoubtedly refers to Beryllus’ error, though he is not mentioned
by name; and finally, a single sentence in Jerome’s de vir.
ill. c. 60 (Christum ante incarnationem regat), which,
however, is apparently no more than his own interpretation of
Eusebius’ words. Our sources have been interpreted very
differently, some holding Beryllus to have been a Patripassian, others
classing him with the Artemonites (see above, Bk. V. chap. 28). He was,
at any rate, a Monarchion, and his position, not to enter here into
details, seems to have been that our Lord did not pre-exist as an
independent being; but that, with the incarnation, he, who had
previously been identified with the πατρικὴ
θεότης, became a
distinct being, possessed of an independent existence (see
Dorner’s Person of Christ, Div. I. Vol. II. p. 35 sq.,
Edinburgh edition). According to this chapter and chap. 20, Beryllus
was the author of numerous treatises and epistles, which were extant in
Eusebius’ time. According to Jerome (l.c.), he wrote,
varia opuscula et maxime epistolas, in quibus Origeni gratias
agit. Jerome reports, also, that there were extant in his time
epistles of Origen, addressed to Beryllus, and a dialogue between
Origen and Beryllus. All traces of these epistles and other works have
perished. |
whom we mentioned recently as
bishop of Bostra in Arabia, turned aside from the ecclesiastical
standard2034
| 2034 τὸν
ἐκκλησιαστικὸν
κανόνα: i.e. the
rule of faith. |
and attempted to introduce ideas
foreign to the faith. He dared to assert that our Saviour and Lord did
not pre-exist in a distinct form of being of his own2035
| 2035 μὴ
προϋφεστ€ναι
κατ᾽ ἰδίαν
οὐσίας
περιγραφήν |
before his abode among men, and that he
does not possess a divinity of his own,2036
but only that of the Father dwelling in him.
2. Many bishops carried on
investigations and discussions with him on this matter, and Origen
having been invited with the others, went down at first for a
conference with him to ascertain his real opinion. But when he
understood his views, and perceived that they were erroneous, having
persuaded him by argument, and convinced him by demonstration, he
brought him back to the true doctrine, and restored him to his former sound
opinion.
3. There are still extant
writings of Beryllus and of the synod held on his account, which
contain the questions put to him by Origen, and the discussions which
were carried on in his parish, as well as all the things done at that
time.
4. The elder brethren among us2037
| 2037 τῶν καθ᾽
ἡμας οι
πρεσβύτεροι. It seems necessary here to take the word πρεσβύτερος
in an unofficial sense, which is, to say the least,
exceptional at this late date. |
have handed down many other facts
respecting Origen which I think proper to omit, as not pertaining to
this work. But whatever it has seemed necessary to record about him can
be found in the Apology in his behalf written by us and Pamphilus, the
holy martyr of our day. We prepared this carefully and did the work
jointly on account of faultfinders.2038
| 2038 On this Defense of Origen, written jointly by Pamphilus and
Eusebius, see above, p. 36. |
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